My puppy eats his poop, how do I stop it?

It is much more common than you think that your puppy will eat his feces or those of another dog, especially if he has a little brother living with him in your house. Anyway, being something usual does not mean that you should allow him to do so. Parasites are hidden in the canine feces; it may be the reason why your dog vomits with such bad smell and even of the transmission of giardiasis.

In this article, we are going to tell you why your dog has this habit, which steps to take so that he does not do it again, and in what cases you have to consult with our online veterinarians. But, let's start at the beginning.

How to stop puppy from eating poop?

There are several reasons why your puppy looks for his poop or of other dogs and eat them, especially when they are small. Before adopting your puppy, it is common that he spends a season with his mother and his brothers. The mother of the furry have only one desire for their children: that they live in a clean and dirt-free place; that is why it is very common for them to eat the feces and the puppies learn this habit from her.

There are other reasons associated with his diet. Puppies are explorers by nature; they have the need to sniff everything that is within their reach to know the world around them. Sometimes, they come to a poop of his or another dog and it smells like food.

My dog ate poop, how do I clean his mouth?

Surely you are now making a face, failing to believe how it is possible that a poop could smell good. The explanation to this is simple: the sense of smell of a dog is of such sensitivity that it allows them to distinguish remains of food in the poop; so the dog feels compelled to eating them.

In addition to these two reasons, there is another one: anxiety. Both puppies and adult dogs are tremendously emotional beings. If you do not pay attention to them, if they are in pain, or if they suffer from stress, the anxiety can end up manifesting itself with the act of eating the poop that they see around them. This case is rare, but it usually occurs in those dogs that are severely scolded for putting in their mouths what they should not and that, suddenly, they see their caregivers stop paying attention to them.

How do I prevent my dog from eating his poop?

Now that you know the reasons, it's time to get down to work. For your puppy to stop swallowing excrement, you have to take care of his diet, his education, and the way you treat him and play with him.

There is a powerful relation between puppies that do not have a rich and varied diet with the intake of feces when they are exploring. If you only feed your furry the same boring feed from the market day after day, he will soon have the need to try new flavors, even if these are inside the dung.

The solution, therefore, is to buy quality feed and alternate it with cans of wet food and even recipes cooked by you. If he likes what he has at home he will not need to try anything weird outside. Remember that this is also the key to avoiding canine obesity.

Don´t use 'stop dog eating poop' products

As for the inheritance that his mother has left him, try not to scold him a lot just because he carries out this unhealthy habit. He thinks that he does it because he learned it from his mom; it is difficult for him to understand that he is doing something wrong. Instead, keep his surroundings clean and pick up any poop before he can consider eating it. Combine this with a healthy and rich diet and he will stop doing it gradually.

To avoid having this behavior due to stress, anxiety, or the feeling of abandonment, get used to play with him more, to walk by his side more, and to maybe understand that he could be doing it to get your attention; so give him more. The responsibility of adopting a puppy goes beyond feeding him and taking him out to the park so that he does his needs, he must feel loved.

Does your dog's poop have red blood, with a bit of mucus or vomit? If your dog's poop looks like jelly, something serious might be happening, especially if we are talking about diarrhea with blood.

When should I worry about my puppy eating poop?

When you take him down the street stay very focused on him. If you discover that a stool has been put in his mouth, examine it and check its color and if it has worms or spots shaped like grains of rice. If yes, make a consultation with our online veterinarians. It does not hurt to take a photo of the animal to be able to have more data for the diagnosis. If after eating the stools he begins to vomit and continues to do so after a few hours, also let us know, as he may be suffering from a gastric problem.

If in spite of following these indications he continues to gobble his stools, get in touch with us telling his age, breed, and the time that he has been doing it. Our experts in canine behavior will attend you and give you an answer.